Gunman wounds two inside car Both in critical condition

shots are fired from auto

A gunman in a car opened fire on a man and a woman and wounded them several times last night as they were driving out of Clifton Park near the Belair Road entrance.

City police said Raymond Gladden, 44, of the 2600 block of Beryl Ave., was shot at least twice in the face, and the driver, Pauline Davis, 33, of the 10000 block of Guilford Road in Jessup, was shot once in the left knee and once in the upper body.

Both were in critical condition today at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Police said Davis and Gladden were in Davis' 1990 Pontiac LeMans and on Indian Head Road headed toward the 3100 block of Belair Road at 6:30 p.m. when an occupant of a red car that approached them opened fire, reportedly with a semi-automatic handgun.

Police said Davis lost control of the car, which drifted toward Belair Road and came to rest near a stone column at the entrance.

When police arrived, they found a large crowd of people standing around Davis' bullet-riddled car. The engine was running and the lights were on.

Police said blood covered the vehicle's hood and its interior also was bloodstained. Several bullets had shattered both front windows. Inside the car, police found several bullets.

Near the car, police found a large-caliber handgun stained with blood, a blackjack and a quantity of narcotics. Police declined to speculate about ownership of the weapons and drugs, but they said the shooting of Davis and Gladden may have been drug-related.

Davis lay on the ground, crying out, "I'm going to die," police said.

Medics attended the woman before she was rushed by ambulance to the hospital.

While police were attempting to learn what had happened, Gladden stepped out from among the crowd and said he also had been shot.

Police said Gladden was bleeding heavily from two gunshot wounds to the face. He was given first aid before being taken to the hospital.

Before leaving, Gladden told police Davis was giving him a ride home and was approaching Belair Road when the gunman suddenly began shooting at them from the car.

Gladden, whose clothing was heavily bloodstained, told police he and Davis both fell out of the car after it came to rest.